1 Kings 16:29-17:1

English Standard Version

Ahab Reigns in Israel

²⁹In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. ³⁰And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, ^(A)more than all who were before him. ³¹And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, ^(B)he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the ^(C)Sidonians, ^(D)and went and served Baal and worshiped him. ³²He erected an altar for Baal in ^(E)the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. ³³And Ahab made an ^(F)Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger ^(G)than all the kings of Israel who were before him. ³⁴^(H)In his days Hiel of Bethel built ^(I)Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.

Elijah Predicts a Drought

17 Now Elijah the Tishbite, of ^(J)Tishbe^[a] in Gilead, said to Ahab, ^(K)“As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, ^(L)before whom I stand, ^(M)there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”